Officials Release Name of Passenger in Oceano Plane Crash

Authorities in San Luis Obispo County have identified the second person aboard the aircraft that crashed off the coast of Oceano on Jan. 14.

The county Sheriff’s Office has reason to believe the passenger of the single-engine, two-seat Morrisey 2150 that crashed roughly a mile from the Pier Avenue ramp was Alan George Gaynor, 52, of Los Angeles.

The Sheriff’s Office previously confirmed the identity of the pilot to be David Brian Casey, 63, of Friday Harbor, Wash.

However, authorities said they cannot be certain of both identities since no bodies had been discovered as of Wednesday afternoon.

The search-and-recovery operation by the Sheriff’s Dive Team and Marine Enforcement Unit has been suspended since Friday because of large swells that have created a dangerous situation for divers in the roughly 70-foot-deep waters.

In a news release Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office said those conditions are expected to last through Friday, when Sheriff Ian Parkinson will re-evaluate the situation.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing to work with State Parks on a ground search for plane debris along the coastline from Grover Beach to Guadalupe.

“The Sheriff's Office is in contact with the families of both the pilot and passenger and our deepest concerns remain with them,” the release reads. “It is the Sheriff's desire to do whatever is reasonable to continue recovery efforts based on the mission's probability of success as well as the safety of the divers.”

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